Classic Gray Paint: Coastal Fog by Benjamin Moore

Why would anyone with a color column write so frequently about gray? I think it's important to point out the subtle beauty of a seemingly random neutral as an element within a larger design scheme. When used deliberately it can be an essential component in a smartly colorful room.

Coastal Fog is perhaps what my friend Benjamin would call French gray, or a warm gray like wet cement. Look at how well it plays along with the green chair, the tchotchkes on the table, the crisp black lines of the wrought iron and the color in the poster — it's elegant and simple.

Gray should not be equated with a garbage dumpster or the inside of a service elevator. In this instance, I like to think it feels like something Le Corbusier might have chosen, and is elevated above what is commonplace. This may not be as exciting as crimson, but I love it anyway.